Railroad Forums 

  • DRPA seeking federal money to reopen Franklin Square Station

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1444639  by mm670
 
The DRPA approved a contract with Burns Engineering Inc for a $2 million study on the reopening of the Franklin Square Station. Construction cost is estimated to be between $27 to $28 million and the station would have an annual $800,000 operating budget. Full story at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/t ... 70920.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
 #1444797  by Bill R.
 
Typical of the DRPA. Let's spend $2 million (!?!) on a study on the possibility of reopening the station. I hope it will at least include a strategy for creating safe pedestrian access for the residential area between the Ben Franklin Bridge and the I-95 ramps.

I think reopening the station is a viable proposition, but the chance for success of the station increases substantially if the service frequencies off-peak match those of SEPTA's heavy rail lines. This could be accomplished by running additional service between 15/16th & Locust station and the pocket track at Ferry Avenue, eliminating the additional operating costs for providing an unnecessary service increase east of Camden. The off-peak PATCO headways aren't attractive for movement between locations within Philadelphia. This is, in part, a manifestation of the mindset that PATCO is the train for NJ, with little utility for city residents.

Furthermore, the increased service could further justify the placement of a PATCO infill station at Kaighn Avenue in Camden, providing rail access to the adjacent retail corridor along Haddon Avenue and the residential Parkside neighborhood just beyond. Kaighn Avnue is at the center of a large gap between stations, and the proposed station is roughly as far from from Ferry Avenue as the distance between Collingswood and Westmont.
 #1479190  by zebrasepta
 
CAMDEN – The Delaware River Port Authority will apply for a federal grant to finance half of the estimated $26.4 million cost to reopen the Franklin Square Station of its PATCO transit line.


Reopening the station on the line between South Jersey and Philadelphia will require physical and technological upgrades. Located at the western side of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge between 6th and 7th streets, it was closed 39 years ago due to declining ridership to and from that station.
 #1479215  by R36 Combine Coach
 
How much of the station shell remains intact? Would the $26 million require rebuilding the existing station shell into a new station or moderate upgrades (installation of elevators, recondition of existing platforms) would be acceptable?
 #1479244  by Patrick Boylan
 
From what I and thousands of others can see from the train the existing station at track level is intact. One should be able to assume that the rest of the station that's out of view from the tracks is in no worse shape.
I think I remember that the $26 million figure includes not only elevators at the existing stairways, but new stairs and elevators on the south side of Race St.
 #1479399  by mcgrath618
 
dcipjr wrote:They've been talking about reopening this station since, what, 2009? I'll believe it when I see it.
This is a lot different than "talking about it." This is PATCO applying for money to actually do it. This is as close to it reopening as it ever has been.
 #1526331  by jonnhrr
 
There was a comment up thread about the advantages of SEPTA running the PATCO line. Would that even be possible given that SEPTA is set up as a state of Pennsylvania organization? I know SEPTA dips its toe into New Jersey at West Trenton (and operates in Delaware as far as Newark) but to run a rapid transit line which primarily lies in another state might be an issue. Perhaps if the line was still owned by DRPA but operated and maintained by SEPTA under contract? (I think that is how the Delaware regional rail service is set up).
 #1526333  by BuddCar711
 
jonnhrr wrote: Wed Nov 27, 2019 2:27 pmThere was a comment up thread about the advantages of SEPTA running the PATCO line. Would that even be possible given that SEPTA is set up as a state of Pennsylvania organization? I know SEPTA dips its toe into New Jersey at West Trenton (and operates in Delaware as far as Newark) but to run a rapid transit line which primarily lies in another state might be an issue. Perhaps if the line was still owned by DRPA but operated and maintained by SEPTA under contract? (I think that is how the Delaware regional rail service is set up).
I was thinking the exact opposite. IMo, the Market-Frankford, Broad Street, and Broad Ridge lines should be taken from SEPTA and given to PATCO to run them considering to me that PATCO does run a subway better than SEPTA. Plus it would incentivize an extension of the Broad Street line southward to New Jersey.